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S&W 325 Thunder Ranch 45 ACP Performance Center Revolver

18K views 58 replies 11 participants last post by  DevJames 
#1 ·
smith wesson 325 thunder ranch for sale

I was curious if any of you own this bad a** revolver? How many of you would love to have one if not for the sky high $1,100 price tag? It is an impressive piece. It fires 45 ACP, so you have one of the most potent man-stoppers around, and since it uses moon clips (which you'd surely have an ample supply of pre-loaded) you'd be ready to quickly toss in another six rounds as soon as it was empty. So much for the complaint that revolvers are slow to reload.

And if this bad guy thinks he can hide in the darkness, that's not going to work because you have a flashlight on your rail. (How many revolvers have a rail?) You have a laser as well, so he can see where some really big holes will be if he fails to cooperate with you.

High priced revolver, but definitely for someone who wishes to be highly prepared for home defense. Keep that in the nightstand along with a bunch of moon clipped .45s and you're really ready.

And like I said, it simply a very cool looking gun that a man can be proud to own. (The polar opposite of a pink snubbie.)
 
#4 ·
I thought about it, but I hate railed handguns..

I bought a S&W 625 JM instead..





Also bought BMT Mooner for my moon clips...
Very nice gun. I don't share your aversion to railed revolvers -- though you should get whatever you like.

I have a BMT Mooner too for my 9mm 986. It's an excellent tool. How many clips are you going to buy? I had 30 clips all loaded up & ready the last time I took my 986 to the range. And I have another 16 clips that are still in their package. It's truly stunning how many clips one can use in practice.

I can't even find that JM model at any reasonable price, so you sure got lucky. For $859 I could get the Performance Center 625 with hideous red, white, & blue grips which is a couple hundred under MSRP. That version is more artistic and could look really good with with a change of grips (to any grips not made by a kindergarten class).
 
#3 ·
I have a 325 Night Guard; it's a slick piece, and is amazingly accurate for a 2.5" barrel. I also like that I don't have to fret about bullet performance with it loaded with big, fat, heavy 255gr LSWC's. I'm looking for a 3" 625...pre lock, of course, 'cuz that's how I roll...;)

And while I like the idea of a railed revolver, I have a few issues with their practicality; mainly...unless you run a remote tape switch for activation, you have a really awkward reach to turn on the light...additionally, you also have to put your thumbs right by the cylinder gap, which is a bad, bad, bad idea.

Even if running a tape switch, I can't see a good pathway for the wire where it won't be in the way of something.

I've seen a new grip for J-frames that puts a light up where the laser is on some lasergrips (can't remember if it's a Crimson Trace, or lasermax...)...this makes more sense to me, coupled with an always on red dot sight--if they make them for an N-frame, that is.

 
#5 ·
I have a 325 Night Guard; it's a slick piece, and is amazingly accurate for a 2.5" barrel. I also like that I don't have to fret about bullet performance with it loaded with big, fat, heavy 255gr LSWC's. I'm looking for a 3" 625...pre lock, of course, 'cuz that's how I roll…;)
If you already have the 325 what do you need a 625 for? You'd just be going from a 2.5" to 3" barrel, which doesn't seem like any meaningful difference.

I'm used to 4" 625s since that's what size they're made in today. If used for home defense, a shorter barrel clearly doesn't matter since you're not trying to hide it & a longer barrel should provide a bit more velocity. You just reminded me of the evil Hillary Hole, something I'd prefer to forget. I hate that damn thing, especially in a defensive gun where it could malfunction, locking up the gun in a critical situation. And clearly a .45ACP revolver, while it may well be used as a range toy & competition gun, can certainly double as a home defense gun where failure is the difference between life & death.

So you don't feel the need for hollow points I see. Of course, you have no assurance a HP will perform as advertised and actually expand. 255gr LSWCs I gather would be your personal hand loads? All I can say is that's one hell of a BIG bullet. I don't think I've come across anyone shooting anything heavier in a defensive gun. Seems like that should get the bad guy's attention no matter how big, angry, and/or drugged he may be.

And while I like the idea of a railed revolver, I have a few issues with their practicality; mainly...unless you run a remote tape switch for activation, you have a really awkward reach to turn on the light...additionally, you also have to put your thumbs right by the cylinder gap, which is a bad, bad, bad idea.
Wouldn't you just tap the light on with a switch that's on both the left & right sides directly in front of the trigger guard? At least that's how every laser I've had has worked. I assume lights and light/laser combos work the same.

What is this about putting your thumbs right by the cylinder gap? I have lots of experience shooting revolvers and am quite used to the proper way to hold them. You do hold a revolver differently than a semi-auto to avoid exposure to the cylinder gap. I wrap one thumb over the other. You get used to it if you shoot revolvers regularly.

Karl
 
#22 ·
The 625 JM is a beeeeatchin gun and I'm going to own one someday. Unless of course I come across a Performance Center 625 first, in which case I'm going to own that one.

One of my shooting buddies is a 625 fanatic and his gun is silly accurate.
 
#23 ·
The 625 JM is a beeeeatchin gun and I'm going to own one someday. Unless of course I come across a Performance Center 625 first, in which case I'm going to own that one.

One of my shooting buddies is a 625 fanatic and his gun is silly accurate.
So lack of funds is the only reason you don't own one yet?

It tis a real problem when money is limited and there are so many cool guns.
 
#25 ·
#26 · (Edited)
The 625 JM is a beeeeatchin gun and I'm going to own one someday. Unless of course I come across a Performance Center 625 first, in which case I'm going to own that one.

One of my shooting buddies is a 625 fanatic and his gun is silly accurate.
I'll sell you my 625PC. SDM F/O front sight. Forcing cone properly cut. B/C gap set to optimum. Proper chamfer on the cylinder. All burrs removed and everything straightened and put to proper spec. Hammer Carmonized and action tuned and slicked up properly. 6 lb pull. Hogue non-grooved Cocobolos. Nice gun now. Performance Center is a joke. Their work is crap.

 
#45 ·
Who was the dude that got mad he spammed the board with gay porn? He was mad that the never ending thread existed, threw a tantrum and got blocked. Then he came back posting gay porn. If I remember correctly he said "I'll be back!"
 
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